Breadcrumb

News

The amount of plastic waste found at and in German rivers is still unexplored in many places. Following campaigns in 2016, 2017 and 2018, young people aged 10 to 16 are once again called upon to support science and go on expeditions as "plastic pirates" in 2019. The next sampling period will take place from 1 May to 30 June 2019.

The University of Bayreuth, partner institution in the joint research project "PLAWES", receives 10 million euros to establish a new Collaborative Research Centre (CRC). Its purpose is to investigate the biological effects of microplastics in the environment, including its migration and formation.

A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) concludes that products are rarely repaired and reused in the EU. Approaches to transition to a circular economy focus too much on waste treatment in most Member States, instead of earlier phases of a product's life cycle.

The aim of the event was to present the BMBF-funded project "TextileMission" to a selected expert audience, to discuss possible solutions to the entry of synthetic fibres into the environment and to offer an exchange platform for representatives from industry, research, politics and NGOs.

On March 27, 2018 around 20 social scientists, all being involved in one of the research projects of the BMBF research programme “Plastic in the Environment”, met to network and discuss future possibilities to increase the visibility of the social and political dimensions of plastics in the environment.

Initially developed for the Science Year 2016*17 – Seas and Oceans of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the funding for the youth campaign "Plastic Pirates" has been extended as part of the BMBF’s research focus “Plastic in the Environment”.

Dr. Friederike Gabel (WWU Münster) and Dr. Katrin Wendt-Potthoff (UFZ) invite researchers to submit manuscripts of research articles on plastics in freshwater ecosystems for a special issue in Fundamental and Applied Limnology. Manuscripts should be handed in by the end of July 2018.

Around 50 scientists from 12 collaborative projects of the research focus on plastics in the environment met for a first exchange on sampling, sample preparation and analysis of microplastics at the Water Technology Center (TZW) in Karlsruhe.

Within the framework of the recently published plastic strategy of the European Union general public, business associations, companies, researchers and experts, NGOs, international organisations and institutions, fishermen and fisheries organisations are invited to take part in the consultation regarding marine litter till the 12th of February.